R.E.M are reissuing their album ‘Automatic For The People’ to commemorate the title’s 25th Anniversary, due November 10 via Craft Recordings. The 4-disc Deluxe Edition will offer a wealth of previously unreleased material, with the band selecting 20 never-before-heard demos from the LP’s sessions, including the fully-realized, unreleased track “Mike’s Pop Song” and the oft-mused about song, “Devil Rides Backwards”.
Listen to an unreleased demo of ‘Mike’s Pop Song’ here – https://open.spotify.com/track/5WB4yhUaTh3S1npEqQf1oE
Watch the ‘Automatic For The People’ 25th Anniversary trailer here –
The album (plus bonus track “Photograph,” featuring Natalie Merchant) was remixed in Dolby Atmos by Automatic’s original producer, Scott Litt, and engineer, Clif Norrell. In addition, the 4-disc Deluxe Edition will offer a wealth of previously unreleased material. The band selected 20 never-before-heard demos from the LP’s sessions.
Also included in both the 2-disc 25th Anniversary and Deluxe Edition of the album—which was remastered from the original analog tapes by Stephen Marcussen—is a full live set, Live At The 40 Watt Club 11/19/92. Performed in R.E.M.’s hometown of Athens, GA, it was the band’s only live show that year.
R.E.M.’s eighth studio outing, was recorded in session locations ranging from New Orleans to Seattle, and Athens, GA to Miami.After its release in 1992 the record reached #1 on UK charts and #2 in the US, selling over eighteen million copies worldwide.
Michael Stipe has since reflected that the album concerns topics of “mortality and dying,” but he further notes, “Mortality is a theme that writers have chosen to work with throughout time. It speaks of the fragility and beauty of life and living life to the fullest in the present moment. It happens all too quickly and we all know that.” Mike Mills asserts, “I think it’s our most cohesive record…It’s the strongest from first to last.”
AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE –
25TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION TRACK LIST (DISCS 1, 2, 3 & 4)
25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION TRACK LIST (DISCS 1 & 2)
Disc 1 – Automatic For The People
1. Drive
2. Try Not to Breathe
3. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
4. Everybody Hurts
5. New Orleans Instrumental No. 1
6. Sweetness Follows
7. Monty Got A Raw Deal
8. Ignoreland
9. Star Me Kitten
10. Man on the Moon
11. Nightswimming
12. Find the River
Disc 2 – Live At The 40 Watt Club
1. Drive
2. Monty Got A Raw Deal
3. Everybody Hurts
4. Man On The Moon
5. Losing My Religion
6. Country Feedback
7. Begin The Begin
8. Fall On Me
9. Me In Honey
10. Finest Worksong
11. Love Is All Around
12. Funtime
13. Radio Free Europe
Disc 3 – Automatic For The People Demos
1. Drive (demo)
2. Wake Her Up (demo)
3. Mike’s Pop Song (demo)
4. C to D Slide 13 (demo)
5. Cello Scud (demo)
6. 10K Minimal (demo)
7. Peter’s New Song (demo)
8. Eastern 983111 (demo)
9. Bill’s Acoustic (demo)
10. Arabic Feedback (demo)
11. Howler Monkey (demo)
12. Pakiderm (demo)
13. Afterthought (demo)
14. Bazouki Song (demo)
15. Photograph (demo)
16. Michael’s Organ (demo)
17. Pete’s Acoustic Idea (demo)
18. 6-8 Passion & Voc (demo)
19. Hey Love [Mike voc] (demo)
20. Devil Rides Backwards (demo)
Disc 4 – Automatic For The People Blu-Ray
1. Automatic For The People (+ bonus track: Photograph) mixed in Dolby Atmos
2. Automatic For The People (+ bonus track: Photograph) Hi-Resolution Audio
3. Drive (music video)
4. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (music video)
5. Everybody Hurts (music video)
6. Man On The Moon (music video)
7. Nightswimming (music video: British version)
8. Find The River (music video)
9. Nightswimming (music video: R version)
10. Automatic Press Kit